Drew McOnie and Tyrone Singleton announced as NYB Patrons

We are thrilled to welcome the brilliant Drew McOnie and Tyrone Singleton to our roster of eminent Patrons. Both Drew and Tyrone are alumni of NYB. Drew was part of the company from 2000 to 2003 and has since choreographed To You (2015), Little Red Riding Hood (2014), The Old Man of Lochnagar (2007), and Monochrome Suite (2003) for NYB. Monochrome Suite was created when Drew was still a young company dancer! Birmingham Royal Ballet Principal, Tyrone Singleton was a member of NYB from 2001 to 2002 and created iconic lead roles in Frank Freeman’s Four Seasons and Jonathan Payn’s Iken.

Drew said:
“I am truly so excited to become a patron of the National Youth Ballet Company as it formed such a vital part of my creative development. Being surrounded by like minded children was transformative for me as an aspiring artist and the opportunities this company gave me have proved to be invaluable. I am committed to the future of this extraordinary company and can’t wait to play a part in the development of the next generation of this countries greatest dancers.”

Tyrone said:
“I’m very excited to become a Patron of NYB! I gained brilliant opportunities and learnt so much as a young dancer with the company and I am pleased to now support the company in the role of Patron!”

Drew McOnie

In 2021 Drew is set to choreograph the Take That film Greatest Days and a new production of Carousel at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, as well as creating a new ballet Merlin for Northern Ballet.

Most recently Drew is the choreographer of Jesus Christ Superstar which returned this summer in a socially-distanced concert staging at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, and is set to resume its North American tour next year.

Other recent work as Director & Choreographer includes King Kong (Broadway), Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom (West End), On The Town (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) and Michael John LaChiusa’s The Wild Party (The Other Palace).

Theatre Choreography credits include: Jesus Christ Superstar (Olivier Award nomination, Best Theatre Choreographer, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Jekyll and Hyde (Old Vic), The Lorax (Old Vic), In the Heights (Olivier Award winner, Best Theatre Choreographer, King’s Cross Theatre), Hairspray (UK Tour), Bugsy Malone (Lyric Hammersmith), Oklahoma! (UK tour), The Sound of Music and Chicago (Curve Theatre), West Side Story (NYMT), Laurel and Hardy (The Watermill), James and the Giant Peach (UK Tour), 13 (Directed by Jason Robert Brown, Apollo Theatre, West End), Tommy (European Tour), Spring Awakening (German Premier, Frankfurt), The Full Monty (German Premier, Frankfurt) and Kes (UK Tour).

Tyrone Singleton

Tyrone Singleton is a Prinicpal Dancer with Birmingham Royal Ballet. He trained at the Royal Ballet School and the Tring Park School for the Performing Arts. In 2003, he began work with the Birmingham Royal Ballet director David Bently. Since joining, he has danced many notable roles such as: Romeo (Romeo and Juliet), the Prince (The Nutcracker), Cavalier (The Sleeping Beauty), Franz (Coppelia), Prince Seigfried (Swan Lake), and Apollo (The Orpheus Suite), to name a few, and in 2013 was promoted to principal.

Singleton has performed as a guest artist for National Ballet of Japan and is the 2003 recipient of the Solo Seal award.

Singleton’s repertoire with Birmingham Royal Ballet includes Frederick Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée (Colas) and Dante Sonata (Child of Darkness); George Balanchine’s Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (Big Boss), Stravinsky Violin Concerto, and Agon; David Bintley’s The Tempest (Caliban), Cinderella (Prince), Beauty and the Beast (Beast), Edward II (Gaveston, Mortimer), Aladdin (‘Ruby’), Carmina burana (Third Seminarian), The Prince of the Pagodas (King of the South), ‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café (Southern Cape Zebra), The Nutcracker Sweeties (Peanut Officer), The Orpheus Suite (Apollo), The Seasons (‘Summer’), The Shakespeare Suite (Othello), Cyrano (Le Bret), Hobson’s Choice (Salvation Army), Take Five (‘Two Step’) and Faster; John Cranko’s The Lady and the Fool (Moondog); Mikhail Fokine’s Petrushka (The Moor); Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet (Lead role), Elite Syncopations (‘Bethena Concert Waltz’) and Concerto pas de deux; Hans van Manen’s Twilight; Rudolph Nureyev’s Raymonda Act III (pas de quatre); Marius Petipa’s Don Quixote pas de deux; Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room and Nine Sinatra Songs (‘One for My Baby’); Peter Wright’s productions of The Nutcracker (Prince), The Sleeping Beauty (Cavalier), and Coppélia (Franz); and Peter Wright and Galina Samsova’s production of Swan Lake (Prince Siegfried, Baron von Rothbart).